The Rival RHG Pro headgear LINK is awesome. For the money it's as good as it gets. Lightweight, great visibility, and it either absorbs or transfers force very well (I don't know which, all I know is that I feel headshots more in my back than in my head, now.) My neck and head are much less sore after sparring in it than in my Everlast headgear. The real innovation is that the Rival RHG Pro is slightly oblong -- like your skull -- instead of round, so it doesn't slide around when you get hooked.

Winning headgear is still the top of the line, but it's twice the cost of the Rival.

Don't scrimp on gear. In this game, good gear can mean the difference between walking away in disgust and being carried away on a stretcher.